Lightly salted pink salmon at home - how to salt fish tasty and quickly. Salted pink salmon for salmon at home, recipe

Step-by-step recipes for salting pink salmon for salmon at home with salt and pepper, various marinades

2018-01-15 Marina Vykhodtseva

Grade
recipe

5796

Time
(min)

Portions
(persons)

In 100 grams of the finished dish

16 gr.

14 gr.

Carbohydrates

0 gr.

190 kcal.

Option 1: Classic recipe for salted pink salmon with salmon at home

In the classic recipe, preparing pink salmon for salmon requires a small amount of ingredients. For everything to work out, we cool the fish, just like the brine. Under no circumstances should you pour warm water over pink salmon, this will simply ruin it. Below in the recipe is the weight of the gutted fish without the tail and head.

Ingredients

900 g pink salmon;
1 liter of water;
5 tablespoons of salt;
100 ml oil.

Step-by-step recipe for classic salted pink salmon (like salmon)

Mix water with salt and boil. It is allowed to add peppercorns, lava leaf, and all these spices to taste. Cool the boiled brine and then put it in the refrigerator for an hour. You can keep it in the freezer for a while.

Cut the fish lengthwise, remove the backbone, remove the skin, cut into pieces half a centimeter across, you can make it a little thinner. Pour in the prepared brine and leave for 30 minutes.

Remove the pink salmon from the brine, squeeze it out, and wipe it with paper napkins. Transfer into a container in layers, pouring with vegetable oil.

Place the fish in the refrigerator and let it sit for 2-3 hours until it is soaked. Before preparing sandwiches, take out the pieces and shake off excess oil.

The tail part of the fish is the driest and most tasteless; it is better to cut it off and not use it for salting. But together with the fins and head, the tails will become an excellent ingredient for fish soup and other fish soups.

Option 2: Quick recipe for salted pink salmon, like salmon

For a quick recipe, the dry salting method is used. Pink salmon cooks for a few minutes, but it is very important to then let it soak in oil, then it will definitely look like salmon.

Ingredients

500 g pink salmon fillet;
80 ml oil;
2.5 tablespoons of salt;
1 tsp. black pepper;
1 tbsp. l. Sahara.

How to quickly salt pink salmon for salmon

Mix salt and granulated sugar. You can add black pepper to them, but this is optional.

Cut the pink salmon fillet into slices immediately. How to make sandwiches. Sprinkle a little salt, pepper and sugar at the bottom of the container, literally a few pinches. Place a layer of fish. Sprinkle with dry mixture and so on. As soon as the food runs out, close the container.

Step 3:
Turn the container upside down and leave for 30-35 minutes. It is important that the lid is tight so that the meat juices do not leak.

Take the second container. Shake off the spices from each piece, place in a clean bowl, and sprinkle with sunflower oil.

Place the pink salmon in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes, then you can serve it immediately.

If you like spicy flavors, you can use ground red pepper instead of black pepper. The quantity must be reduced by three (or even four) times, otherwise the fish will turn out too spicy.

Option 3: Salting pink salmon for salmon at home (dry method with lemon)

To prepare this fish, you can use pink salmon fillets with or without skin. In the first case, the salting will take a little longer, but the pieces will hold their shape better. We choose juicy lemon for the marinade; it is better to choose citrus fruits with thin skin.

Ingredients

800 g pink salmon;
2 spoons of sugar;
2 tablespoons of salt;
5 g black pepper;
2 lemons;
150 ml oil;
laurel

How to cook

Mix sugar and salt, add ground black pepper, finely chop one bay leaf. Wash the lemons and cut into thin slices. We immediately remove and discard any bones that we encounter; they will spoil the taste of pink salmon.

Place a layer of lemons on the bottom of the container, sprinkle with spices and salt, it should take a little less than half. Place pink salmon fillet pieces in one layer; no need to cut. We stick lemon slices into the sides and fill in the voids.

Sprinkle the remaining spices over the fish, add the remaining citrus fruits, close the container and place in the refrigerator for 7 hours. You can periodically turn it upside down and vice versa.

Remove the pink salmon fillet from the container and wipe with napkins, removing excess salt. Cut into pieces, pour in oil, let soak.

If you come across lemons with a thick skin, it may taste bitter. In this case, it is recommended to simply pour citrus juice over the pink salmon and add a few slices for flavor. You can salt pink salmon with the addition of zest.

Option 4: Salted pink salmon, like salmon in tangerine marinade

To prepare pink salmon for salmon at home, it is best to prepare natural tangerine juice. Oranges will also work, you can even use a mixture of different citrus fruits. This fish takes longer to salt, but it turns out very tender, juicy, and will definitely delight you with its taste.

Ingredients

500 g pink salmon;
130 ml tangerine juice;
5 tbsp. l. oils;
1 tbsp. l. salt;
20 ml lemon juice.

Step by step recipe

Mix tangerine and lemon juice, add salt to them. Stir until completely dissolved. After this, add odorless vegetable oil to the marinade.

Cut the pink salmon fillet into matchbox-sized pieces. There is no need to grind it; it is better to cut the slices after salting. Place in a container and fill with tangerine (or orange) marinade.

Place the prepared pink salmon in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours. Before using, simply remove the slices from the marinade. Readiness can be checked periodically, bringing the fish to the desired taste.

When using packaged juice, it is better to choose drinks with pulp. If the taste is too sweet, you can add a little more lemon.

Option 5: Pink salmon with salmon at home with vodka

A simple way to prepare delicious salted pink salmon, like salmon. A required ingredient is vodka. Moreover, it cannot be replaced with cognac, moonshine or other similar drinks with pronounced tastes. They don’t go well with red fish at all, and the vodka completely evaporates. This is a Scandinavian recipe.

Ingredients

800 g pink salmon;
2 tablespoons of salt;
25 ml vodka;
100 ml oil;
1.5 spoons of sugar.

How to cook

Mix granulated sugar and salt. If desired, add black pepper, you can add other seasonings, but in small quantities. The Scandinavian recipe often contains coriander; a few grains are enough for this amount of fish.

Wipe the pieces of pink salmon with a towel, sprinkle with prepared spices, and transfer to a container. Pour vodka over it. We place the load and put it in the refrigerator overnight.

We take out the fish, wipe it dry, cut into slices no larger than half a centimeter. Place in a clean and dry container, pouring odorless vegetable oil over it. Let the fish sit for another hour so that it is soaked and becomes more like salmon.

For salting, you can use ready-made seasonings for fish, but it is better not to do this. Salmon has a subtle aroma and taste that is easy to lose or spoil. Black pepper and lemon juice are enough for pink salmon.

Option 6: Pink salmon for salmon at home with onions

For this pink salmon, only light and onions are used. It is better not to take purple and red varieties. The recipe specifies a medium-sized pink salmon carcass, but you can immediately take fillets with or without skin.

Ingredients

medium-sized pink salmon;
1 tbsp. l. salt;
0.5 tbsp. l. Sahara;
2 onions;
70 ml oil.

How to cook

Cut off the head and tail of the pink salmon about five centimeters. Carefully separate the fillet from the backbone. We either immediately clean the skin of any remaining husks and leave it, or remove it at this stage. If the fillet is already ready, then simply rinse and wipe with napkins, bypassing all these preparations.

Mix salt and sugar. Rub the mixture onto the cooked fillets on all sides. Chop the onion thinly, add a little salt to it and rub thoroughly with your hands until the juice appears.

Cover the seasoned pink salmon fillet with mashed onions on all sides and sprinkle a little on the bottom of the container. Immediately pour vegetable oil, take only the refined product. Place a small weight and leave the pink salmon fillet to marinate in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

Pressure is one of the most important aspects when salting, although it is not indicated in all recipes. It is pressing down with a weight that prevents the pieces of fish from falling apart, they remain dense, slicing is easier, and you can prepare very neat, thin, beautiful slices. For oppression, you can simply use a brick. Since there is not a lot of fish, a small piece is enough. To ensure sterility, it is first placed in a clean bag.

Pink salmon is a fish from the salmon family, the meat of which has an excellent taste. The taste of pink salmon is better revealed when salted, so the question: how to salt pink salmon worries many housewives. The fact is that pink salmon meat is a little dry, especially after boiling or frying. But when salting, this drawback is not felt at all.

How to prepare fish for salting

To pickle pink salmon, you first need to select the fish itself. Fresh fish is checked not only by the appearance of its scales. The main feature is a “clean” look and pink-red gills. Frozen fish can be checked by certificate or after defrosting.

The next step after selecting the fish is cleaning and cutting. If the fish is frozen, it will need to be defrosted. This stage should proceed smoothly. To preserve the taste, the temperature is lowered gradually.

It is best to transfer the pink salmon from the freezer to the refrigerator the day before cooking, and leave it in the kitchen a couple of hours before salting. Never defrost it hastily under running hot water or in the microwave. This will “kill” the taste.

Even if the question: how to salt pink salmon requires an immediate answer, do not resort to speedy methods, because this will affect the quality of the fish. It's better to cook something else. The fish is sold mostly gutted, so after defrosting you need to separate the head and tail.

The head, tail and fins can be used to make a rich broth for soup. It will also make delicious cabbage soup!

And cut the rest of the fish into pieces, approximately one or two fingers or a couple of centimeters wide. Thinner ones will salt out faster. But some people prefer solid pieces, even if they take a long time to cook. We have done half the work to get the recipe for pickling pink salmon.

How to get a tasty snack

There are many recipes for salting pink salmon at home. Each woman has her own signature secret, thanks to which the fish turns out to be much tastier than store-bought ones. How to achieve this? Add your favorite spices, observe the salting time - these are the main tips.

Let's learn together how to pickle pink salmon at home deliciously. In order to please your loved ones with a variety of dishes from this fish, it is enough to know 4-5 recipes and cook them one by one.

Do not use iodized salt to pickle pink salmon!

An easy way to pickle

Products:

chopped fish;
salt - 1.5 tbsp. spoons “without top”;
sah. sand - 1.5 tbsp. spoons “without top”;
olive oil - 2-3 tablespoons.

This is the simplest and, at the same time, the most delicious way to pickle pink salmon. If you are salting fish for the first time, we advise you to pay attention to the fact that the pieces are approximately the same thickness; there is no need to remove the skin. The fish is cut crosswise.

This simple recipe is also suitable for those who are busy with work and don’t have time, or if you want to pamper your loved ones or guests with something delicious. Salt pink salmon a day before you plan to serve it. Better yet, a little more, then the fish will turn out more tender and tastier.

First, prepare the dishes for pickling. Aluminum or metal will not work. You can take a tray made of food-grade plastic or ceramics. Another option is enamel cookware, but the enamel should not be damaged. Place the pieces in one layer and sprinkle with a thick layer of pre-mixed salt and sugar.

Before putting it in the refrigerator, just let the pink salmon sit in the kitchen for a couple of hours. Then place a not very heavy weight on the fish and put it in the refrigerator for a day.

Remove after 24 hours, wash with clean water, dry on a napkin and coat with oil and put in the refrigerator for a while. You can cook pink salmon in advance and store it in a little oil in the refrigerator. Place the pieces first in a glass jar. This method is called dry.

Spicy with lime

Ingredients:

fresh pink salmon - one kilogram;
lime - 1 piece;
salt - 1 tbsp. heaped spoon;
sugar - 1 heaped teaspoon;
ready - 2 tbsp. spoons.

How to deliciously pickle pink salmon? Seasonings are very important. Everyone notes the harmony of flavors of fish and lime (or lemon). Let's try pickling according to this recipe. Also, as in the previous one, we will cut the pink salmon. Cut the lime into thin slices just before cooking.

Lubricate the pink salmon with a thin layer of mustard and arrange in layers. Sprinkle a mixture of salt and sugar between the layers, and also place thin slices of lime. In a day, the delicious fish is ready. You can grease it with a little vegetable oil and leave it for another hour or two.

Or you can serve it by washing off excess salt and sugar and drying it a little. You can cook fish without mustard, only with lime or. If desired, add some herbs or spices. For example, dill, which combines with citrus fruits, would be appropriate here.

When experimenting, do not forget that you cannot add too much spices and pepper. Firstly, they may not be combined, and secondly, they may “overwhelm” the taste of pink salmon.

How to salt pink salmon for salmon

Ingredients:

fresh pink salmon - 1 kilogram;
salt - 2 tbsp. spoons;
sugar - 1 tbsp. spoon;
1 laurel sheet;
1 tbsp. spoon of lemon juice;
black peppercorns - 10-15 pieces;
olive oil - 2 tablespoons.

In order to successfully salt pink salmon for salmon at home, several conditions must be met. The fish should be fresh, preferably fillets. The color of pink salmon should be uniform.

Thinly slice the fillet to make the fish more tender. Place the slices in the container in which you will salt it. Squeeze a little lemon juice into it and mix everything well. Sprinkle salt, sugar, pepper and crushed bay leaf on top.

Do not use too much bay leaf for salting any fish; it is good only in small doses.

Place the dish with the fillet in the refrigerator for a day, after pressing it with a small weight. After a day, the fish can be greased with oil and served.

Video recipe for salting pink salmon in brine

Greetings to guests and regular readers of my blog! Nowadays, the food market is replete with the presence of delicious seafood. Unfortunately, we cannot always afford expensive varieties of fish. In this case, lightly salted pink salmon with salmon always helps me out. Today we will look at several quick and tasty recipes for salting this fish.

Pink salmon is a tasty and healthy, but relatively inexpensive red fish. And if you cook it correctly, it will be as tasty as salmon. Its calorie content is per 100 grams. about 160 kcal. And it contains a whole set of essential amino acids and microelements.

Today I will prepare this delicious and budget-friendly analogue of an expensive delicacy. And I invite everyone to join this exciting event. Once you try this snack, you will make it constantly. After all, it is quite capable of replacing harmful sausage and will not hit the family budget.

Not long ago we looked at it at home. Today I bought fresh frozen pink salmon. I want to pickle it and I invite you to take part in this exciting event. Having gone through different salting methods, I chose several, in my opinion, the best. Having tasted this fish, you will feel its juiciness and fat content, like expensive salmon.

Today in the article:

I hope that you will like some of the presented salting options. I especially like those that allow you to get the finished product in 5-10 minutes. I love everything that is prepared quickly and tasty. And if you add this fish, your family will be absolutely delighted.

Lightly salted pink salmon for salmon - a very tasty salting at home

It is not always possible to purchase fresh fish. Therefore, you can buy frozen pink salmon. When prepared correctly, it will not be inferior to fresh. Here is a step-by-step description with photographs of cutting and salting pink salmon. Simple and understandable even for novice housewives.

Lightly salted salmon is not just a quick and inexpensive holiday treat. A fabulous delicacy will decorate the table without any reason. My family absolutely loves sirloin sandwiches for breakfast. And my husband especially loves thinly sliced fish with beer.

Salting is also good as the easiest way to cook fish. We need to achieve the effect of juiciness and fat content. In addition, excessive softening of the product should not be allowed.

What you will need:

pink salmon carcass - 1 piece
salt - 2 tbsp. spoons
sugar - 1 tbsp. spoon
peppercorns
coriander
lavrushka

Cutting and salting pink salmon at home

1. It is best to defrost a carcass naturally. That is, just leave it to thaw at room temperature. During this time, calmly go about your business.

Remember the main rule of defrosting - no heat treatment!

I don’t recommend putting fish in the microwave or in water. The fillet will become soft and fall apart right in your hands.

2. Clean the thawed carcass from scales and wash. Cut the belly of a whole fish and remove all the entrails. Milk, like caviar, can be salted separately or together with fillet.

When cutting the product, use the sharpest knife. But be careful not to cut yourself.

3. Now cut off the head along with the front fins and wash the fish again. Dry or blot with napkins to remove excess water. Butchering is difficult only the first time. And when you understand the sequence of actions, they will seem very simple to you.

4. First, use a knife with a long, thin blade to cut the carcass in half. Try to keep as little meat as possible on the spine and ribs. Separate the second half from the ridge in the same way. I pull out the remaining ribs with regular tweezers. And I cut off the fins and tail with scissors.

5. We will not remove the skin at this stage. This way it will keep the outer layer elastic and uniform. You can leave the fillets in halves or cut them in half. Leave the head and bones on the ear.

6. After this, proceed directly to salting. Mix salt and sugar. It will be necessary to fill both parts on both sides.

Do not rub the salt into the meat, otherwise it will become too soft.

It is enough just to generously salt the fillet pieces on both sides so that they are completely soaked. Sprinkle with the spices you like. I use pepper, coriander and bay leaves.

8. After this period, it is necessary to rinse the fish to remove any remaining salt and sugar. Then blot it dry with a paper towel or napkins. Next, you can start cutting the fillet itself and separating it from the skin. Cut into even small pieces. They will be easier to store and much tastier.

This salmon recipe is suitable for treating both adults and children. Delicious breakfast sandwiches can easily replace not-so-healthy products from supermarkets. I hope you will be satisfied with this lightly salted pink salmon for salmon.

Recipe for lightly salted pink salmon, tender and juicy like salmon

Using an analogue of expensive seafood was a real discovery for me. This dish combines all the best qualities of salmon. At the same time, it resembles the delicate and moderately fatty taste of juicy salmon. We will salt using the dry method, without brine.

This dry salting with onions and peppers will take some time. However, the result will be worth it. So, let's start preparing an inexpensive, wonderful snack.

Ingredients:

pink salmon – 1 piece
salt – 6 tablespoons
sugar – 1 tbsp. spoon
black peppercorns - to taste
onions – 2 medium heads
vegetable oil – 0.5 cups

Preparation procedure:

1. The first stage is defrosting and cutting the carcass. The bones can be pulled out along with the spine. To do this, cut the fish into two halves and remove the backbone and ribs. Rinse and dry Afterwards, separate the fillet from the skin. They should be immediately cut into uniform pieces that will be convenient to eat.

2. Next, mix salt and sugar. Dip the fish pieces into the mixture. The better these components are absorbed, the tastier and richer the taste will be. When you have done this, place all the pieces in a bowl. Cover it and leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3. At this time, you can prepare the pepper, bay leaf and onion. The latter must be peeled and cut into rings. Next, you will need to rinse the fillet under running water and dry with paper towels.

4. Place fish slices with onions, peppers and bay leaves in dense layers in a bowl. You can press down on top with a little pressure. For example, put a jar of water. Leave for one hour. Over time, the onion will release its juice and soak the fish. She will be simply amazing.

This dish is already very tasty in itself. Lightly salted pink salmon can serve as both a main treat and as an appetizer. It is very good to serve together whole.

How to properly cut red fish for salting

This master class is for those who do not know how to cut salmon. If everything I wrote is still unclear to you, then watch this video. Here, the wonderful chef Sergei Krutov from the video of the “Professional Cooking” channel shows what and how to do.

Of course, it won’t be as easy and simple as Sergei’s the first time. But, as they say, experience comes with age. Now you have a step-by-step guide to action.

Very tasty pickled pink salmon in 5 minutes (it doesn’t get faster)

Sometimes my husband invites guests and informs me last. You have to cook only the quickest dishes. In this recipe, only defrosting the fish takes time. I'm actually against thawing in water. But, if very quick cooking is required, then I put the carcass in water. Half an hour will be enough.

While she is swimming there, you can start preparing other dishes. There is no need to wait until the fish thaws completely. A half-frozen carcass is even easier to clean. To do this, you need to cut it along the ridge and all the bones will stretch out along with the spine. Pluck out the remaining ribs with tweezers.

You can cut the skin off half the fish. You can remove the skin later after slicing. Do what is most convenient for you. This method is quite simple and you can easily repeat all the steps.

Ingredients:

pink salmon – 1 piece
water – 1 liter
salt – 6 tablespoon
sugar – 1 tablespoon
vegetable oil – 70 ml.
ground black pepper - to taste

Cooking steps:

1. When you have the finished fillet on your table, you can start slicing. In this recipe, you need to achieve uniform pieces. After all, they should marinate evenly.

2. If you have chopped everything, then you can start brining. Dissolve salt and sugar in hot water. It is necessary that there are no grains left in such a mixture. Next, add cold water to cool the liquid and achieve a volume of 1 liter. You can use hot water, but then it will need to cool to room temperature.

4. Once you have the dry pieces, place them in a bowl. Mix fish with pepper and vegetable oil. After which you can keep it in the oil for another five minutes. If this is not possible, and hungry mouths are urging you on, then feel free to serve the treat to the table.

The simplicity of this recipe is amazing. We can safely say that snacks don’t get any tastier or faster. Take this method of salting fish into your arsenal. Delight your guests with an amazing, quick treat and always be on top!

Lightly salted pink salmon in brine with sugar - fabulously delicious

Which salting tastes better - dry or in brine? Everyone chooses this for themselves. For me, the method of immersing the fillet in brine seems more tasty. It ensures uniform salting and reveals all the flavor qualities of the salmon.

The snack is moderately salty, aromatic and nutritious. I really want you to try this dish too.

I have already written about cutting and cleaning fish in previous recipes. If anyone doesn't

To prepare you will need:

1 kg pink salmon fillet
100 ml vegetable (sunflower) oil.
2 tablespoons sugar
1.3 liters of boiled water
5 tablespoons salt
black peppercorns
Bay leaf
spices and spices to taste

Procedure:

1. The initial stage will be cleaning and slicing the carcass. This moment is quite important, because all the pieces must be the same size. This way they will be well soaked, aromatic and tasty.

2. When you have completed this task, you can start brewing the brine. To do this, mix sugar, salt, bay leaf and peppercorns with water in a saucepan. Next, add spices and herbs to taste. I recommend taking coriander. Bring this mixture to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. After this, cool the brine to room temperature.

4. After this period of time, remove the fillet. You need to dry it with a towel or napkins. When this is done, place the fish in a plastic container and fill it with vegetable oil.

The product is ready to use. The fish will be lightly salted. The one that remains in the refrigerator until tomorrow will become more salty. I recommend serving the deliciousness to the table in the form of sandwiches, or in thinly sliced slices on a plate. You can decorate with herbs or onions.

Lightly salted pink salmon for salmon using the dry method (video recipe)

It doesn't matter how you serve red fish. As a snack with onions and lemon, or in the form of sandwiches. Everyone will be satisfied. I recently subscribed to the video channel “Everything ingenious is simple!” And there I found a video of “Little salted pink salmon” with salmon “in its own juice.” I really liked how the author prepares fish with lemon and butter. And he serves it very beautifully and appetizingly.

The dry method of salting fish is the simplest. It is not only suitable for all salmon breeds.

As you can see, it is simply impossible to make a mistake when salting fish. The simplicity of preparation does not give a chance to spoil the product. But when buying, you can easily get into trouble. There is an abundance of fish on the shelves from a variety of seas and oceans. But how can we buy the one, after defrosting which we will not be disappointed?

How to choose a good pink salmon for salting

First of all, you will need to choose the right fish. I prefer to buy from specialty seafood stores. But you can buy it at your nearest supermarket. The main thing is that the product is fresh and stored in proper conditions.
You need to choose a carcass without any spots and with a uniform color. It should be moderately elastic. To check, press your finger on the fish; you need the hole to quickly level out. The eyes of fresh pink salmon will not be cloudy, without bloody streaks.
It is better to buy chilled fish rather than frozen. This way you can determine its freshness by appearance and smell. If you purchase frozen fish, it should be curved. If it has an even shape, it means it has already been defrosted. It's not worth buying this one.
I advise you to buy a whole fish. Do not take in pieces or even already filleted. Firstly, when salting you will be left with the head, fins and spine. They will come in handy for the broth. And secondly, the quality of the untouched carcass is higher.

There are several types of red fish, each of which differs from the other in size, weight, taste and fat content, as well as consumer class. Salmon is a luxury product, and pink salmon is a more popular red fish, for which there are many recipes. It is suitable for general consumption. Resourceful cooks know how to cook ordinary pink salmon so that the most picky people do not have the slightest doubt that this is real fatty salmon.

How is pink salmon different from salmon?

Before we start preparing pink salmon to give it the taste of another fish, we will look at its features and the main differences with salmon. It all starts with the territorial distribution of fish. Pink salmon is caught in Pacific waters (and sometimes even in fresh river water or lakes), and salmon is caught from the Atlantic Ocean. Both fish belong to the same salmon family. Pink salmon are much smaller in size than salmon, and there are noticeable differences in their appearance. Male pink salmon have a hump that becomes larger and more visible during spawning, and both males and females may have dark spots on the caudal fin. Salmon is a fish without a hump and without spots; during spawning, the color of the males acquires a reddish-brown tint.

Salmon and pink salmon differ both in appearance and in their qualities

From a culinary point of view, salmon meat, compared to pink salmon meat, is fattier and denser; it is much more convenient to cut it into thin slices, such that it can be used in sandwiches, rolls and sushi, and in classic deli cuts. These two types of fish also differ in color - salmon has a more saturated red hue (when cooked it is pale pink), and pink salmon is pink-orange. If we consider fish fillets, pink salmon has a uniform color and does not have light-colored veins; salmon, on the contrary, has many veins that diverge in different directions. As for the juiciness and toughness of fish meat, pink salmon is a little drier in taste than salmon, and tougher, its meat is not juicy, so pink salmon is often used for salting or stewing, and salmon for baking or frying.

Pink salmon meat does not have light veins that form a pattern

The caviar of salmon and pink salmon also differs. In salmon it is smaller and brighter, and the shell of the eggs is thin and delicate, in pink salmon it is a little larger, the color of the eggs is pale orange, and the shell is dense.

How not to spoil the taste of pink salmon by cooking it “for salmon”?

Firstly, strictly follow the method of salting pink salmon you have chosen, and do not make mistakes in the proportions. And, secondly, do not overexpose pink salmon in dry salt or brine - otherwise it will become tough.

How to choose fresh or frozen pink salmon for delicious pickling?

If you purchase fresh fish in order to salt it, first of all pay attention to its flesh, it should be very dense and have a uniform color (as we already said, pink salmon is pink-orange). There should not be any spots on it that are too bright or, conversely, pale. Even when fresh, it should look “appetizing.” You can check the freshness of the fish in the following way - press on it with your finger, the hole that remains from the pressure should immediately recover, you also need to look carefully at the fish tail - in no case should it be too dry (this is a sign that it has been stored fish for a long time). If the fish you like has a head, look into its eyes. They should not be even slightly cloudy or bloody - choose fish only with clear eyes.

Choose pink salmon with clear eyes

For salting, you can use not only fresh fish, but also frozen fish. It’s better to take the whole thing, with the head on. The gills of the fish should not have a dark greenish tint (this is a sign that this fish will soon begin to rot), the shape of the fish should be correct (if the fish is curved, it means it has been defrosted and frozen more than once), and all fins and tail should be intact ( otherwise, the fish could also be frozen more than once, which would affect both its taste and health benefits). If the fish is frozen and gutted, look at its belly - in high-quality pink salmon it is pinkish in color, if you notice that yellowness begins to appear on the abdomen, it is better not to take such fish.

A must-have for both fresh and frozen fish is the smell. It should not give off a “smell.”

How to salt pink salmon for salmon?

When choosing any of the recipes, it is important to know that pink salmon is not salted whole, but in pieces, otherwise the salting will turn out to be too strong, “strong”.

For salting, both the fish and the brine must be chilled, this is an important rule, otherwise the fish meat will begin to fall apart, and pink salmon will not taste like salmon at all.

Salting pink salmon in brine (photo)

Recipe 1, designed for 1 kg of frozen pink salmon:

Let the pink salmon defrost a little (not completely, because this will make it easier to clean the fish and cut it). You should defrost either at normal temperature - in the kitchen, or on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator - it is cooler there than in the room, but much warmer than in the freezer.
Do not defrost pink salmon completely
We process the fish: cut off the head, remove the fins, get rid of the fish entrails, and thoroughly wash the belly.
We wash the fish's belly
Remove the skin from the fish and remove the bones.
Boneless pink salmon fillet
We cut the fish into pieces that are convenient for salting them.
Cut pink salmon into pieces for pickling
Take 1 liter of clean water (if the water is boiled, it should not be warm or hot, but completely cooled), dissolve 5 tbsp in it. spoons of salt.
Dissolve salt in cold water
Place fish pieces in salt brine for 20 minutes. Important: the longer the fish is in brine, the saltier it will be.
The longer pink salmon is in brine, the saltier it will be.
We take out the fish, place it on special paper towels or table napkins, and let the brine drain completely.
Dry the pink salmon fillet on a paper towel
We transfer the fish into a glass or plastic bowl, pour it with vegetable oil, preferably refined (so that there is no smell of oil, and the fish smells only of fish). If you place the fish in several layers, pour oil over each layer (you just need to pour it in a thinner stream).
Drizzle each layer of pink salmon with a thin stream of oil.
Place the fish under a press (a plate or saucer with a glass of water on top will do).
Leave the fish under pressure
We wait 6 hours, and the pink salmon is ready.
Ready pink salmon

You can add special seasonings and spices for fish to the brine, for example, parsley, red or black pepper, rosemary, fennel, and basil are often used.

Pink salmon prepared in this way can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Recipe 2, with brine and freezing, for fresh fish

Dissolve 5 tbsp in 1 liter of boiled cold water. spoons of salt and 5 tbsp. spoons of sugar, put in the refrigerator while we cut the fish.
We process the fish - get rid of the entrails, fins, skin, and wash it well.
This method is not suitable for small pieces, so we cut the pink salmon into two halves, each of which is cut in half (across).
Pour the pink salmon with brine in a short plastic container.
Place the fish in the freezer for 1 day.
We take the fish in brine out of the freezer and let it defrost completely.
Wash the fish with clean cold water and dry.
Cut into pieces and pour in sunflower oil for 2-3 hours (you can do without this step).
Lightly salted pink salmon is ready.

Fish salted in the freezer is most convenient to cut

This pink salmon can be stored for 6–7 days, always in the refrigerator.

Recipe 3, the fastest, “in 5 minutes”

Keeps in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.